In this edition:
Allegations Supervisors Taylor & Vincent Defraud Milwaukee County Taxpayers
In addition to an already active Ethics Complaint that was filed with the Milwaukee County Ethics Board in January of 2024 against Supervisors Steve Taylor and Kathleen Vincent alleging multiple violations of the Milwaukee County Ethics Code, they can now add another to the list.
A formal ethics complaint was filed against County Supervisors Steve Taylor and Kathleen Vincent for fraud and misuse of Milwaukee County resources. The same complaint was filed with the Milwaukee County Fraud Waste and Abuse.
The formal complaint alleges that County Supervisor Taylor (Franklin, Oak Creek)
also Executive Director of the ROC Foundation with the knowledge and support of Supervisor Kathleen Vincent (Greendale, Greenfield, Milwaukee), also President of the Greendale School Board, sent their shared Legislative Aide to at least 5 Milwaukee County Circuit Court proceedings to take notes and provide information back to Taylor and Vincent.
We are not mentioning the Legislative Aides' name as we believe the Aide is innocent as the Aide was following directives from Taylor and Vincent.
The public proceedings of two different individuals are both of interest personally to Taylor and Vincent. These proceedings have nothing to do with Milwaukee County or Milwaukee County Business but are two cases of personal inherent interest to Taylor and Vincent.
Milwaukee County taxpayers should have a deep concern that citizens' tax dollars are being used inappropriately at the same time County Supervisor Taylor is seeking headlines to portray him as being a county budget hawk and proclaiming that "the sky is falling". At the very same time, Taylor and Vincent are inappropriately using County Staff for their personal business.
Milwaukee County Ethics Code 9.05(2) (a) and (e) states:
(a). No financial gain or anything of substantial value: Except as otherwise provided or approved by the county board, no county public official or employee shall use his/her public position or office to obtain financial gain or anything of substantial value for the private benefit of himself/herself or his/her immediate family, or for an organization with which he/she is associated. This paragraph does not prohibit a county elected official from using the title or prestige of his/her office to obtain campaign contributions that are permitted by and reported as required by ch. 11, Wis. Stats.
"Anything of value" means any money or property, favor, service, payment, advance, forbearance, loan, or promise of future employment, business, or other consideration having a value greater than fifty dollars ($50.00), but does not include compensation and expenses paid by the county, fees and expenses which are permitted and reported under section 9.14 of the Code, political contributions which are reported under ch. 11, Wis. Stats., or hospitality extended for a purpose unrelated to county business by a person other than an organization.
(e). No use of public position to influence or gain unlawful benefits, advantages or privileges: No county public official or employee shall use or attempt to use his/her public position to influence or gain unlawful benefits, advantages, or privileges for himself/herself or others.
The legislative aide's salary was identified in a query on opensalary.com. It indicates the legislative aide is a full-time salaried employee with an hourly rate of $20.26. A conservative estimate of fringe benefits for a public employee in WI is 40% of the salary, bringing the aide's hourly with fringe to $28.36. The dates the aide attended one set of public proceedings as requested by Mr. Taylor and Ms. Vincent was aware of were June 10, July 7, and August 6, 2024. These hearings were on a matter unrelated to Milwaukee County business but of personal interest to Supervisors Taylor and Vincent.
The legislative aide was also requested to attend another set of public proceedings on June 10 and July 25 by Taylor. These hearings were also on two separate matters unrelated to Milwaukee County business but of personal interest to Supervisor Taylor.
This brings the legislative aide's appearance at Milwaukee County Circuit Court proceedings to a total of 5 appearances to take notes and return back to Mr. Taylor and Ms. Vincent with the information. Taylor and Vincent defrauded Milwaukee County taxpayers' estimated cost of instructing a county employee to use their position for Taylor and Vincent's personal gain is $141.80 (Estimated 5 hours - 1 hour for each hearing attended). Above the $50 threshold for the case of financial gain according to the Milwaukee County Code of Ethics.
Shortly after this alleged misuse of county resources on August 16, George Christenson, Milwaukee County Clerk sent a multi-page memo to Milwaukee County Supervisors on the Scope of Services of Legislative Aides. Christenson who oversees all of the Legislative Aides indicates in the memo "Legislative Aides do not accommodate requests to the personal affairs of County Supervisors"
At a 2024 "campaign" fundraiser for County Supervisor Steve Taylor
City of Franklin Common Council President Michelle Eichmann, John Nelson (Mayor, City of Franklin), Steve Taylor, Jim Luckey, George Christiansen (County Clerk), Georgia Konstantakis (Franklin Municipal Judge), Marcellia Nicholson (County Board Chair), and Liz Sumner (Milwaukee County Comptroller).
County Supervisor Taylor provides no solutions to solving the Milwaukee County Budget Crisis
According to the Journal Sentinel "the county's Office of Strategy, Budget and Performance and County Executive David Crowley worked with departments to identify funding sources and departmental surpluses to reallocate funds. The county would also use federal American Rescue Plan Act pandemic relief dollars and, if necessary, debt service reserves to plug the gap."
The Journal Sentinel quoted Crowley as saying “I remain committed to deploying fiscally responsible solutions to balance our budget and work toward our shared vision,” County Executive David Crowley said in a statement. “But we have more work to do to prevent future fiscal cliffs, increase recruitment and retention to avoid overtime costs, and obtain additional financial support for required state-mandated services.”
The Journal Sentinel also indicated, "The county's finance committee voted Thursday to recommend Crowley’s proposal to close the 2024 budget deficit without any extra cost to taxpayers and little impact on county-run services. The projected deficits had come despite approval from state lawmakers last year to more than double the county's sales tax rate to 0.9% and increased shared revenue back to the county from state coffers."
County Supervisor Steve Taylor is the Vice-Chair of the Milwaukee County Committee on Finance. This is the same County Supervisor Steve Taylor who appears to be running the local media circuit spreading that there is a looming budget crisis, "the sky is falling", and providing no substantive solutions to the solve the county budget crisis.Taylor makes his ego-centric posts on his County Supervisor's Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/supervisorsteveftaylor in posts with no likes and that the same two people (out of his district) respond.
Steve Taylors Media Tour on the now solved County Budget Crisis.
July 30, 2024 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"It's not good. It's not good at all," Supervisor Steve Taylor told the county's finance committee on Thursday, later adding, "We're going to have a tough budget."
August 6, 2024 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"I didn't hear solutions. That's what pisses me off," he said. "I heard the problems. I heard the causes. I didn't hear any creativity." - No Solutions Provided by Supervisor Taylor.
August 15, 2024 -WUWM
"Today on Lake Effect, we dive into the Milwaukee County budget and explore why there’s a multi-million-dollar deficit" - No solutions were provided by Supervisor Taylor.
August 20, 2024 - Here and Now PBS Wisconsin
"Milwaukee County Supervisor Steve Taylor discusses a budget surplus swinging to projected deficits for the county's government despite federal funding, a boost in state aid, and a sales tax increase." - No Solutions were provided by Supervisor Taylor.
September 5, 2024 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Regarding a 4th Dome - County Board Supervisor Steve Taylor, who has warned his colleagues of looming fiscal challenges, noted the plan's hefty price tag but said the idea has merit.
September 8, 2024 - Urban Milwaukee
Regarding the Charles Allis Mansion - Taylor said the CAVT representatives were being “short sighted” for not considering selling the mansion to pay for a new home for the art collection. The funding they are asking for could other go toward “parks and playgrounds and pools and everything else that’s a higher priority for this body,” Taylor said. “That’s what you’re up against.”
Supervisor Taylor, enough grandstanding. Let the adults in the room solve the issues that have the knowledge and ability to make the tough, educated, and well-informed decisions. Maybe you should try to turn a profit and not run an annual structural deficit at the $150,000 not-for-profit ROC Foundation in which you are the executive director. Please, Supervisor Taylor, consider the "Greater Good".
Taylor runs an annual -$20,000 deficit as Executive Director of the ROC Foundation but claims to be able to solve a $1.47 Billion Milwaukee County Budget
| Golf Outing | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| Gross | $33,028.00 | $33,529.00 | $45,376.00 |
| Expenses | $25,147.00 | $30,472.00 | $37,233.00 |
| Other Expenses - Rent Facility Costs | | | $8,144.00 |
| Net Profit | $7,881.00 | $3,057.00 | -$1.00 |
Total gross fundraising revenue for the ROC Foundation continues to increase year over year at the same time fundraising expenses continue to increase. In 2022 Steve Taylor lost -$4,007 in fundraising.
| All Gross Receipts – Fundraising Events | $58,660.00 | $80,731.00 | $114,650.00 |
| All Expenses – Fundraising Events | $44,371.00 | $65,874.00 | $118,657.00 |
| Total Net Revenue – All Fundraising Events | $14,289.00 | $14,857.00 | -$4,007.00 |
Total revenues for 2022 were at an all-time high but when compared with the expenses and losses on fundraising, they do not paint a good picture of the fiscal management of this foundation by Taylor.
| Contributions, gifts, grants | $71,932.00 | $129,333.00 | $146,659.00 |
| Net Income from Gaming and Fundraising Events | $1,350.00 | $8,496.00 | -$353.00 |
| Other Revenue | $21.00 | $854.00 | $427.00 |
| Total Revenue | $73,303.00 | $138,683.00 | $146,733.00
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The reported expenses paint another picture and raise a few questions. The ROC Foundation according to the IRS filings really does not award "grants". It allows nonprofit organizations the privilege to sell 50/50 raffle tickets and admission tickets and keep a share of the "profits" for their "work".
Taylor had $32,786 charged to professional fees and independent contractors. What is it that a foundation that makes no money and gives no money could possibly be spending $32,786 in 2022 and $40,022 in 2021 on consultants and independent contractors? Who or what company was Taylor consulting with? What reason could there possibly be for a small nonprofit to spend 25% of its revenue on consulting on top of the 50% revenue of the salary paid by the Foundation to Taylor? Why was the ROC Foundation not charged rent in 2022 but was charged rent in 2020 and 2021?
| Grants Paid | $2,835.00 | $33,537.00 | $38,006.00 |
| Salaries and benefits | $62,232.00 | $74,648.00 | $75,047.00 |
| Professional fees and independent contractors | $14,665.00 | $40,022.00 | $32,786.00 |
| Occupancy, Rent, Maintenance | $7,800.00 | $7,984.00 | $0.00 |
| Printing/Postage | $363.00 | | $136.00 |
| Other Expenses | $4,034.00 | $1,952.00 | $2,283.00 |
| Total Expenses | $91,929.00 | $158,143.00 | $148,258.00 |
The net assets reported on the filings indicate a loss for the last three reporting years with a negative fund balance across all three years and a total deficit for the three years of -$39,611.
| The deficit for the year | -$18,626.00 | -$19,460.00 | -$1,525.00 |
| Fund Balance at the Beginning of the Year | $14,947.00 | -$3,679.00 | -$23,139.00 |
| Fund balance at end of year | -$3,679.00 | -$23,139.00 | -$24,664.00 |
Due to the many questions arising from the review of the ROC Foundation tax filings, publicly accessible on the IRS web page, Franklin Community News filed a formal complaint with the IRS in January of 2023 providing evidence and alleging that Milwaukee County Supervisor/ROC Executive Director and Mike Zimmerman ROC Ventures CEO:
- Directors/Officers/Persons are using income/assets for personal gain
- The organization is engaged in commercial, for-profit business activities
- The organization is involved in a political campaign
- The organization is engaged in excessive lobbying activity
Franklin Community News has provided evidence of open records, to the IRS of how Taylor and or Zimmerman were involved and participating in the above allegations.
County Supervisor Taylor has made the news lately with a now self-proclaimed title of Milwaukee County Budget Hawk "The sky is Falling".
Based on the IRS filings Taylor cannot operate as Executive Director a not-for-profit that grosses no more than $150,000 without losing money the last two years on the major golf fundraiser in addition to running huge end-of-year structural deficits of over -$18,000 the last two of three filing years.
Maybe Taylor should take some of his own advice “It’s not good. "It’s not good at all. We’re going to have a tough budget,” he (Taylor) said." If Taylor cannot run a simple nonprofit organization in the black, turn a profit, and benefit the community, one would question what knowledge, expertise, experience, input, or advice he can provide to solve the multimillion-dollar county budget problems. Milwaukee County Supervisor Steve Taylor serves as co-chair of the Milwaukee County Committee on Finance.
What is it County Supervisor Taylor does to earn over $75,00 in salary and fringe for a not-for-profit organization that has run a -$20,000 structural deficit two years in a row? In the real world, he would have been fired. However, since it is all smoke and mirrors for allegedly being a paid employee for Mike Zimmerman CEO of ROC Ventures assisting in operations and Governmental relations, it's ok.
Please try to keep Mr. Taylor busy at the ROC Foundation so the adults in the room can focus on solving the financial issues of the County and providing continued services to the residents of Milwaukee County.
In case you are wondering according to the ROC Foundation Website, ROC stands for "Return on Community". The City of Franklin is bought and paid for by Mike Zimmerman, Steve Taylor, and Mayor John Nelson.
